First Impressions
There’s a lot to like if you’re after a large, fairly affordable Android tablet and it could be a good rival to the OnePlus Pad 2. The display ticks all the boxes, the spec sheet is packed and the software features are plentiful.
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Huge screen12.3-inch OLED display with 1600 nits of brightness -
Fast chipsetSnapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, with 12GB RAM -
AI features everywhereHonor’s huge collection of AI features, including Magic Portal
Introduction
Honor is going big at IFA 2024, unveiling a whole ecosystem of products including one of the thinnest foldables around, a laptop aimed squarely at creatives and an update to its Magic Pad tablet.
It’s the Magic Pad 2 that I have got here, and while I haven’t spent enough time with this Android tablet to form a verdict yet, I do have a few early impressions to share.
The Magic Pad 2 might not be as designed with as much panache as the Honor Magic V3 foldable, but for the £499 starting price, there is a lot going on. There’s a speedy Qualcomm chipset at its heart, a big display on the front packed with tech to ensure it’s kind to eyes and plenty of AI smarts too.
Screen
- Large 12.3-inch panel with 3K resolution and 1600 nits if
- Various modes to make it easier on the eyes
- 144Hz refresh rate
The Magic Pad 2 is all about the screen. This tablet comes packing a larger 12.3-inch OLED display with a very thin bezel running around the side. It really is a fantastic screen, with colours that pop, good brightness levels (Honor claims 1600 nits) and a sharp 3K resolution.
That’s a lot of the boxes ticked I look for in a good tablet screen, and considering the price is more affordable than Apple’s iPad Air – with a much better display – this is an excellent choice for those who travel frequently and want a great canvas for watching movies and other content on the go.
The panel also boasts a snappy 144Hz refresh rate, ideal for games that support it, and includes several features designed to make the screen better, and more comfortable, on your eyes. For instance, the AI Defocus feature is there to help you avoid eye strain when reading or watching for extended periods and it’s supported in apps like YouTube, Netflix and Kindle.
4320Hz high-frequency PWM dimming eliminates fluctuations in screen brightness, minimising flickering to what Honor calls an ‘imperceptible’ level. The screen will also shift into a warmer hue at night.
Whether all these features work as expected remains to be seen, but it’s welcome that Honor is focussing on ensuring the screen is not only high quality but kind to the eyes too.
Design
- Available in two colours: black and white
- Pencil and keyboard accessories
- Nice thin and light design
Tablets can be only so distinctive in their designs, Most look very much the same: a big screen on the front, and a clean panel on the back with a cutout for the camera. That Honor Magic Pad doesn’t break any new ground in tablet design, even if it does still look very nice.
It’s slim at 5.8mm and light at 555g, with flat sides and a tasteful circular camera module on the back. My white review unit has an almost pearlescent finish, which catches the light nicely. There’s a black model, too.
Along the bottom, there’s a USB-C port, while a power button sits on the top. It’s a simple design, but one that lets the huge display shine.
Available alongside the tablet is a stylus (the Magic Pencil 3) and a Smart Bluetooth keyboard. To begin with, both of these accessories will come bundled with the Magic Pad 2 – however this is only for a ‘limited time’
I’ve been trying out the keyboard case and it gets the job done. The lack of a trackpad is annoying, meaning you’re reaching up when you tap the screen, and the tablet sticks a little too tightly into the case, but the typing experience is nice and it’s a compact package that offers protection too.
Performance and Specs
- Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset
- Plenty of AI features
- Spatial audio
As with seemingly any mobile device launched in 2024, there are, of course, a bunch of AI software features onboard. There’s Google Gemini, plus Honor’s own suite of hopefully helpful AI additions including Magic Portal and Magic Capsule.
Magic Portal can help search via images, finding products online you might have seen on TikTok or Instagram. Then there’s Magic Capsule, Honor’s take on Apple’s Dynamic Island tech, and finally Magic Ring – a way to link up and connect various Honor products.
While the large screen is great for movies, Honor is positioning this as a productivity tablet too. There is the Honor Docs app onboard, which can take documents from various services and store all the files in one place, plus something called Handwriting Beautification to clean up any unruly scribbles.
Inside the tablet there’s a high-end, if not quite flagship, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset paired with 12GB RAM and a healthy 256GB storage. There’s a 13MP camera on the back and a 12MP one on the front, plus a 10050mAh battery with 66w Super Charging skills.
Audio is a big focus on this device too. There’s spatial audio for added immersion in supported services, and an eight-speaker setup that sports IMAX certification to really push home that quality message.
Early Verdict
There’s a lot to like if you’re after a large, fairly affordable Android tablet and it could be a good rival to the OnePlus Pad 2. The display ticks all the boxes, the spec-sheet packed and the software features plentiful.
